The Wohl Clean Growth Alliance, an initiative funded by the Wohl Family Legacy, has launched a new initiative for clean growth in food, water and energy, according to a press release from the initiative Monday. The alliance is managed by the British Council, along with the UK Science and Innovation Network at the British Embassy in Israel, and Israel's Science and Technology Ministry.
The goal of the initiative is to build further UK-Israel ties via clean growth linked to food, water and energy, and enhance relations between academic researchers and experts on policy, industry, education and third-sector organizations.
The Wohl Alliance has also called for the submission of proposals on clean growth in order to receive a grant of up to £20,000, to help support the development of new technology in the field.
Likewise, the program is also launching with a $1 million donation from the Wohl Legacy, to be used for at least three years. The concept of clean growth is based on the idea of sustainable development without detrimental environmental repercussions, which has become an important pillar of the UK-Israel relationship. In terms of the focus of the grants and donation, research will address sustainable development in food, water, clean energy, storage and distribution, agriculture and food distribution.
Neil Wigan, UK Ambassador to Israel and chairman of the Wohl Alliance's steering committee, noted the great importance of the initiative, saying that “clean growth is one of the pillars of the UK industrial strategy and is essential to ensure continued prosperity whilst tackling climate change."As the host of COP26, the UK is committed to working with other countries to achieve clean sustainable growth worldwide," he said. "The UK and Israel are world-leaders in academic research and innovation." COP26 is the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, set to be held in Glasgow on November 1-12, 2021.
Improving and building lasting collaborations in clean growth initiatives will guarantee increased impact of this research, vital in tackling climate change and ensuring our joint sustainable future,” the ambassador added.
Wohl Legacy chairman Prof. David Latchman shared the ambassador's sentiments, saying that “the Wohl Legacy is delighted to be able to announce the Wohl Clean Growth Alliance to encourage collaboration between the UK and Israeli researchers.
"The best research happens when people can cooperate freely across borders, and now, in these unprecedented and challenging times of a global pandemic, such collaborations are more critical than ever – for our future and for the generations to come," Latchman said. "Both the UK and Israel are scientific superpowers who lead in research in clean growth fields, from agritech to water management and energy storage."